Metallica Become First Act to Secure Top 5 Spots on Billboard’s Vinyl Album Sales Chart
There are a lot of people out there spinning some fresh Metallica vinyl right about now. Billboard has revealed that the legendary metal act has secured the top five positions on this week's Billboard Vinyl Album Sales Chart, marking a first in the chart's history.
The reason for the boost is that six new vinyl reissues were released via the retail chain Walmart on Jan. 29. Five of those six - which ended up being the band's first five albums - claimed the first five spots on the chart.
Leading the way was Metallica's 1984 sophomore set, Ride the Lightning. That was followed by 1991's self-titled "black" album, 1988's ...And Justice for All, 1983's debut Kill 'Em All and 1986's Master of Puppets.
The band's most recent record, Hardwired ... to Self-Destruct, was the lone new entry of the new vinyl arriving at WalMart not to crack the Top 5, but still secured the No. 7 position. Harry Styles' Fine Line vinyl broke up the chart block claiming the No. 6 spot.
As stated, this is the first occurrence of a band dominating the Vinyl Album Sales Chart like this. The chart debuted in 2011, so there has been a decade of opportunity for it to happen.
Metallica have been working on new music over the past year, but drummer Lars Ulrich recently stated in an interview that the progress on the new album was "glacial."